We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help
them live to their full potential.
Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like
drowning, is a step toward this goal.
Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning.
Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger.
Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of
unintentional injury death in the United States.
The main factors that affect drowning risk are lack of
swimming ability, lack of barriers to prevent unsupervised water access, lack
of close supervision while swimming, location, failure to wear life jackets,
alcohol use, and seizure disorders.
When most of us are enjoying time at the pool or beach,
injuries aren’t the first thing on our minds. Yet, drownings are the leading
cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4, and three children die
every day as a result of drowning.
Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is
water (such as bathtubs, swimming pools, buckets), and even in the presence of
lifeguards.
Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting the
children they love from drowning.
Prevention Tips
Learn life-saving skills.
Everyone should know the basics of swimming (floating, moving through
the water) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Supervise When in or Around Water. Designate a responsible
adult to watch young children while swimming or playing in or around water.
Supervisors of preschool children should provide “touch supervision”, be close
enough to reach the child at all times.
Fence it off. Install a four–sided isolation fence, with
self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can
help keep children away from the area when they aren’t supposed to be swimming.
Pool fences should completely separate the house and play area from the pool.
Make life jackets a "must." Make sure kids wear
life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean,
even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in and around pools for
weaker swimmers too. It cannot be
stressed enough that children should wear a life jacket EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY
ARE IN THE WATER. Think of how
devastating it would be for your child to drown when you could have made sure
they were protected by a life jacket.
Even if your child is older, things happen in the water, especially when
participating in water sports, which might leave the child incapacitated and
unable to save themselves.
Be on the look out. When kids are in or near water
(including bathtubs), closely supervise them at all times. Because drowning
occurs quickly and quietly, adults watching kids in or near water should avoid
distracting activities like playing cards, reading books, talking or texting on
the phone, and using alcohol or drugs.
Adults should be paying attention, even when lifeguards are on duty.
Be vigilant about safety around the water. It only takes a moment to lose a loved one,
but a lifetime to wonder if you could have prevented a drowning death.
